2026-2027 Fellowship Program

About the Open Call

The Ransom Center will award up to 50 research fellowships for its 2026–2027 program, including 10 dissertation fellowships. We offer funding to graduate students, current and former academic faculty at any level of career, and independent researchers such as journalists and artists, who require archival research at the Center for their projects. Fellowships of varying lengths (from one week to two months) are offered for research projects that require substantial on-site use of collections that span a variety of disciplines, including literature, photography, film, art, performing arts, music, cultural history, and interdisciplinary studies. Research projects might include scholarly articles or monographs, dissertations, creative work (plays, novels, films, interdisciplinary pieces), digital humanities, performance-based research, exhibition proposals, and collaborative research. The Center fosters a supportive environment for researchers to explore, examine, critique, and better understand its cultural works. The program also includes community activities such as weekly coffee gatherings and a monthly research series called Familiar Terms, encouraging discussion and knowledge sharing among researchers and staff. Fellows are expected to spend most days in the Reading Room, with access to a shared office for review and writing. An additional, one-time $500 stipend is provided to individuals who are citizens or residents of countries other than the U.S. to contribute to the costs associated with the J-1 visa and/or international travel to Austin. Fellowships must be completed between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027.

What is Offered

The Ransom Center will award up to 50 research fellowships. One– to Two–Month Fellowships: $3,500 per month. Travel Stipends: $2,000. Dissertation Fellowships: $2,000. An additional, one-time $500 stipend will be provided to international citizens or residents to contribute to J-1 visa and/or international travel costs to Austin. Stipends are issued after the Fellow arrives for residency. Fellows also gain access to shared office space and participate in community engagement activities.

Requirements

Fellowships are open to graduate students, current and former academic faculty at any level of career, and independent researchers such as journalists and artists. Dissertation fellowships are available for graduate students whose doctoral dissertations are in progress by the time of application and have not been completed by the start of the fellowship period. All projects must require substantial on-site use of the Ransom Center’s collections, with applicants needing to clearly convey project feasibility and identify specific collections with detailed specificity. Previous recipients are eligible to reapply with new projects after two full fellowship cycles have passed. The Center is particularly interested in proposals from candidates who can contribute to an inclusive research culture and welcome scholars who think critically about archival representation.

How to Apply

A complete application consists of a three-page proposal and one confidential letter of recommendation. These materials must be uploaded as PDF files to the Ransom Center's online application system. To begin, applicants must create a new fellowship account to receive a fellowship account number, which is used for both the proposal submission and by the referee for the letter of recommendation. The proposal must be in English, formatted with specific margins and font size, and include a project summary, detailed account of anticipated collection use, and an abbreviated curriculum vitae. The letter of recommendation must be from an individual qualified to judge the proposal and, for dissertation fellowships, from the dissertation director or committee member.